The Palestine Chronology

At Madrid peace conference, PM Shamir delivers first opening address of the day. He is followed by Jordanian FM Kamil Abu Jaber, chief Palestinian delegate Haydar Abd al-Shafi, Lebanese FM Faris Bouez, and Syrian FM Faruq al-Sharaa (NYT 11/1)

After hearing Abd al-Shafi's speech on the radio, hundreds of Palestinians march through Ramallah waving olive branches and shaking hands with Israeli security forces, who did not break up the demonstration. Similar marches took place in E. Jerusalem, throughout occupied territories. (MEM 10/31, 11/1)

In another move toward PLO-Saudi reconciliation, Fateh Central Comm. Mbr. and top aide to Chmn. Arafat Nabil Sha'th, who was appointed as behind-the-scenes PLO coordinator of Palestinian delegates at Madrid, meets with Saudi representative to talks, Prince Sa'ud bin Faysal, along with Palestinian delegates and members of the steering committee. (MEM 11/1)

Kuwaiti FM Shaykh Salim al-Sabah reiterates Kuwaiti hostility toward PLO, however, describing PLO position during the Gulf war as "shameful" while affirming Kuwaiti support for Palestinian cause. (MEM 11/1)

Israeli, South Lebanon Army forces continue shelling Nabatiyya area, other regions of S. Lebanon. (MEM 11/1)

Middle East peace conference opens in the royal palace in Madrid with delegations from Israel, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and the joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation present. Conference begins with short speech by Spanish PM Felipe Gonzalez, followed by addresses by conference co-conveners Presidents Bush and Gorbachev, and Dutch FM Hans van den Broek, representating the European Community. Soviet FM Boris Pankin and Secy. of State Baker were also present at the negotiating table. Saudi ambassador to the U.S. Prince Bandar bin Sultan and 'Abdullah Bishara, secy. gen. of the Gulf Cooperation Council, also attend the conference, but are not seated at the table. Egyptian FM 'Amr Musa delivers the first address by one of the negotiating delegations. Secy. of State Baker confirms that it was not certain whether or not second phase bilateral talks between Israel and the Arab delegations would commence 11/2 as scheduled due to disagreement between Israel, Arab delegations over venue of such talks. Israel is pushing for holding the negotiations in the Middle East, while Arab delegations seek to continue to hold such talks in Madrid. (NYT 10/31)

Hamas calls for a general strike to protest the peace conference. But 2,000 Palestinian supporters of Fateh, some armed with clubs and knives and waving Palestinian flags, march in favor of the peace talks in Gaza as Israeli troops follow them but make no effort to disperse the gathering. The marchers clashed with supporters of Hamas, injuring four. Five thousand other PLO supporters march in Khan Yunis. Pro-peace conference activists in Qalqiliya, Jenin force shopkeepers to open their shops which had been closed following orders by Hamas to observe ageneral strike. Elsewhere, Israeli security forces kill one Palestinian in Hebron, wound at least 24 in Gaza and 11 in Nablus during clashes. (NYT, WP, MEM 10/31)

Iraqi National Assembly condemns peace conference, attacks Syria, Egypt for their participation. (MEM 10/31)

Some 10,000 Lebanese march in Beirut against peace conference. (WP 10/31)

Israeli, South Lebanon Army forces bombard villages near Nabatiyya, S. Lebanon, in retaliation for 10/29 attacks on Israeli troops. (NYT 10/31)

U.S. announces that both Jordanian and Palestinian delegates will each be able to deliver a 45-minute opening speech at peace conference. Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria will also talk for 45 minutes. Israel protests to Washington that this violates conditions for Israeli attendance by treating the Palestinians as a separate delegation. (NYT 10/29)

London-based Mideast Mirror publishes list of Syrian delegates (MEM 10/28)

Demonstrators for, against peace conference clash at anti-conference rally in Amman. (MEM 10/29)

West Bank gunmen open fire on a bus carrying Israeli settlers from Shilo to an anti-peace conference rally in Tel Aviv, killing two and injuring five, bringing total number of Israelis killed since beginning of intifada to 74. (NYT, WP 10/29)

German authorities state police in Hamburg discovered 14 Soviet T-72 tanks aboard an Israeli ship destined for Israel. The tanks, formerly belonging to the E. German army and subsequently handed over to the German secret service BND, were to be delivered to Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, which sought to learn more about the tanks' design. (NYT, WP 10/29)

Israeli, South Lebanon Army forces launch artillery barrages directed at area surrounding Nabatiyya, S. Lebanon. Attacks continue into early morning hours of 10/29. (MEM 10/30)

Israel names its delegation to conference.(NYT 10/26)

Israeli daily Yedi'ot Aharonot publishes poll indicating 91% of Israelis support participation in peace conference but 57% do not believe negotiations will lead to "real results." (WP 10/27)

United National Command of the Uprising issues leaflet number 76, calling for unity among Palestinians and escalation of the intifada. (MEM 10/25)

In Damascus, Arab foreign ministers agree to coordinate stands during peace conference, not to strike separate deals with Israel. Syria failed to garner support for proposal that none of the delegations would attend the third-stage talks on regional issues until Israel returned occupied Arab territories. (MEM 10/24; NYT 10/25)

In another move toward Saudi-PLO reconciliation, PLO Pol. Dept. Head Faruq al-Qaddumi meets with Saudi FM Prince Sa'ud al-Faysal while both attend Damascus foreign ministers meeting. The meeting, brokered by Egyptian pres. Husni Mubarak, was their first since the Gulf war, and reportedly led to Sa'ud pledging to restore Saudi ties with PLO. (MEM 10/25)

Palestinian delegate Sa'ib 'Urayqat creates an uproar in Israel by declaring to the press that "we are the PLO delegation." Palestinian negotiator Faisal Husseini later states that 'Urayqat was speaking for himself. (NYT 10/2)

Faisal Husseini announces seven Palestinians will form an advisory committee to work with the steering committee attached to the Palestinian delegation to the peace conference. They are: Radwan Abu 'Ayyash, Ziyad Abu Zayyad, Ahmad al-Yazji, Jamil Tarifi, Radi Jara'i, Salih Abu Laban, 'Abd al-Hadi Abu Khawsh. (MEM 10/25; Voice of Palestine 10/26 in FBIS 10/28)

Some 300 Palestinian fighters opposed participation in the peace talks occupy the offices of Fateh in the 'Ayn al-Hilwa refugee camp near Sidon, S. Lebanon, and overrun much of the rest of the camp. Action was reportedly led by Maj. Munir Makda, commander of Force 17, Fateh's security force. (NYT 10/25)

Ten Palestinian groups which had been attending Tehran-based conference on Palestine sign 13-point statement denouncing Madrid peace conference, calling for escalation of intifada. Among signatories were PFLP, DFLP [Hawatma faction], Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, al-Sa'iqa. (Radio Monte Carlo 10/24 in FBIS 10/25)

Israel re-opens its embassy in Moscow, closed since the USSR broke diplomatic relations with Israel in 1967. (NYT 10/25)

Lebanese Pres. al-Hirawi states Ta'if accord calls for "redeployment-not a withdrawal-of Syrian forces," but suggests that if Israel withdrew from S. Lebanon, Syria would withdraw its forces from Lebanon. (MEM 10/24)

Prime Min. Shamir indicates he will head Israeli delegation to the peace conference, not FM David Levy. Invitations sent to the parties by the U.S., USSR had called for talks at the "ministerial level," a diplomatic phrase usually interpreted to mean participation by officials holding rank of foreign minister or below. (NYT 10/24)

Arab foreign ministers representing Syria, Egypt, Jordan, along with representative of Lebanon's foreign ministry and head of PLO political department meet in Damascus to discuss strategies for peace conference. They were later joined by foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, representing the Gulf states, and Morocco, representing North African states (except Libya). (MEM 10/23)

Strike called for 10/22 by three groups in o.t. partially observed in E. Jerusalem, elsewhere in West Bank, but not in Nablus, Jenin. Residents of Gaza city observe strike, but not those in the refugee camps. (MEM 10/25)

Members of the Jewish Ateret Cohanim seminary move into a house in the Muslim quarter of E. Jerusalem. Group claims the house was owned by Jews driven out by Palestinian rioting in 1929. Settlers occupying a building in Silwan seized 10/9 from Palestinian residents petition Israeli high court of justice to allow them to remain. Group also seeks permission to move into four other buildings from which they had been evicted by police. (MEM 10/24)

European Community official announces EC, Israel have reached agreement over long-standing dispute over status, place of residence of EC official who will be sent to monitor EC economic aid to Palestinians in the o.t. EC had sough to post the official in the territories; Israel objected, seeking to place the representativen Tel Aviv instead. The EC has set aside $100 million in aid for Palestinians in the o.t. (MEM 10/24)

Human rights organization Middle East Watch issues report on condition of 18,000-20,000 stateless Palestinians in Kuwait. The Palestinians, who were either born in Gaza during the British Mandate, during the period of Egyptian administration of Gaza (1948-67), or who are descendants of those born there, have lived in Kuwait for decades but do not hold citizenship in any country. They do not carry Israeli Gaza identity cards but merely hold Egyptian travel documents, and are thus unable to legally live anywhere. According to the report, Kuwait intends to expel these persons to Iraq 11/15. (MEM 20/24)

Faisal Husseini releases names of the fourteen Palestinians who will serve on the joint Palestinian-Jordanian negotiating delegation. Seven additional Palestinians will serve on a steering committee and not participate in the actual talks. Chmn. Arafat asserts that the Palestinian delegates will represent the PLO because "every Palestinian is a member of the PLO." (NYT 10/23)

U.S. State Department indicates Secy. Baker will appoint a special Middle East representative to facilitate the bilateral negotiations which will constitutehe second phase of negotiations. (NYT 10/23)

PFLP, DFLP, Hamas issue joint statement in o.t. urging escalation of intifada, call for general strike 10/23 in opposition to peace conference. Statement also rejects claim that a majority of Palestinians favor talks. Spokesmen for PFLP, DFLP denounce 10/21 threat against Palestinian delegates issued by PFLP-GC head Ahmad Jibril in Tehran. Fateh also issues leaflet in o.t. calling on Palestinians to ignore PFLP-DFLP-Hamas call for strike on 10/23. (MEM 10/22)

Saudi Arabia releases $3 million to PLO. The funds, deducted from salaries of Palestinians working in Saudi Arabia as a "liberation tax," had been frozen following the deterioration of PLO-Saudi relations during the Gulf crisis. Agreement was recently reached about resuming transfers of the funds [see 9/26]. Some of the funds also came from Saudi donations to the Palestinian cause. (MEM 10/24)

Tehran conference on Palestine ends, establishes permanent secretariat in Tehran. (MEM 10/23, IRNA 10/23 in FBIS 10/24)

Chmn. Arafat meets with Lebanese pres. Ilyas al-Hirawin Paris, their first meeting since al-Hirawi's election as president. Talks focus on peace conference, Lebanese-PLO relations. (MEM 10/23)

Al-Hirawi later tells press conference that "not one shot" will be fired at Israel from Lebanon once Israeli forces are withdrawn from S. Lebanon. (MEM 10/23)

Chmn. Arafat travels to Egypt, his first trip to Egypt since the deterioration of PLO-Egyptian relations during the Gulf crisis. (MEM 10/21)

At Tehran conference on Palestinian issue, PFLP-GC Gen. Secy. Ahmad Jibril states Palestinian delegates to peace conference have "sentenced themselves to death." Arguments break out between delegates supporting, opposing participation in peace conference, including verbal exchanges between anti-Arafat delegates such as Sa'id Musa Muragha (Abu Musa), head of Fateh-Uprising, and PLO representatives. (MEM 10/22)

National Committee of Heads of Local Arab Councils, made up of mayors of Palestinian communities in Israel, votes unanimously to strike 10/24 and stage protest in Jerusalem to draw attention to under-financing of Arab municipalities by Israeli authorities. Vote comes in wake of increased calls for action on the question and strikes by Arab municipal workers demanding payment of back wages [see 8/20]. (MEM 10/22)

Israel releases 14 Lebanese prisoners held in Khiyam prison, S. Lebanon. A 15th detainee was released in Israel and returned to Lebanon. Islamic Jihad for Palestine in turn releases American hostage Jesse Turner. Turner had been held captivie since January 1987, and is the fourth Western hostage to be released since the current comprehensive, multilateral prisoner-hostage negotiations began earlier this year. (MEM 10/21, 10/22)

Israeli jets bomb Hizbullah headquarters in Jibshit, S. Lebanon, in retaliation for 10/20 deaths of three Israeli troops. (MEM 10/21)

Chmn. Arafat meets Pres. al-Asad in Damascus, the first time the two bitter rivals have met since 1983. The two reportedly agree that the multilateral Arab-Israeli talks on regional cooperation, envisaged as the third-stage of the peace process, would be futile unless Israel agrees to withdraw from the o.t. (MEM 10/21)

Asad had earlier met with Soviet FM Pankin, while FM al-Sharaa received the U.S., Soviet ambassadors who issued invitation to attend the peace conference. Syria indicated it would formally respond to the invitation in a few days' time. (WP 10/20)

Palestinian negotiator Faisal Husseini submits list of 14 Palestinian delegates to peace conference to U.S. consul in Jerusalem. (WP 10/20)

Jordan formally accepts the U.S.-Soviet invitation to attend peace conference. (WP 10/20)

Gulf Cooperation Council Secy. Gen. 'Abdullah Bishara indicates he will head GCC delegation to peace conference. (AFP 10/19 in FBIS 10/21)

Israel reports it has received positive information that one of its five missing soldiers in Lebanon, Yossi Fink, is dead, in a move which may expedite the ongoing comprehensive prisoner-hostage exchange negotiations. (WP 10/20)

"International Conference in Support of the Islamic Revolution in Palestine" opens in Tehran with 800 delegates from 60 countries in attendance. PNC Speaker 'Abd al-Hamid Sa'ih, delegates from the main constituent PLO groups attend, as do representatives of Hamas, Islamic Jihad of Palestine [Fathi Shaqaqi], and groups within the Palestinian National Salvation Front. Iranian pres. Hashimi Rafasanjani declares Iran is willing to send troops to help establish a Palestinian state. (WP 10/20; MEM 10/21, 10/23)

Syrian FM Faruq al-Sharaa confirms Syria will attend peace conference but will not participate in subsequent talks on regional issues unless Israel displays willingness to withdraw from occupied Arab territories [see 9/26]. Al-Sharaa also states he will not shake hands with Israeli delegates at conference. (MEM, WP 10/17)

Tunisia, Morocco indicate they will take part in peace conference as observers. (MEM 10/17)

Secy. of State Baker travels to Jerusalem, holds discussions with PM Shamir, Palestinian negotiators. Talks with Palestinians centered on Palestinian delegation to peace conference. Two sides continue to disagree over Israeli demand that such a delegation not include Palestinians from East Jerusalem, a demand which Baker has urged Palestinian negotiators to accede to in order that the Palestinians not be left out of the peace process. (WP 10/17)

PLO delegation in Amman reportedly reaches agreement with Jordanian government over composition of joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation under joint leadership of King Hussein and Chmn. Arafat. But Jordanian government states it has discussed the issue not with the PLO but "people from the occupied territories" in effort to stem Israeli objections to PLO role in choosing Palestinian delegates. (MEM 10/16; WP 10/17)

PLO Central Comm. meets in Tunis to discuss Palestinian participation in peace conference. (WP 10/17)

Clandestine al-Quds Palestinian Arab Radio reports statement has been issued in o.t. by PFLP-GC, Hamas, Fateh-Revolutionary Council [Abu Nidal], Islamic Jihad, Mujahid Islamic Trend, and Fateh-Uprising [Abu Musa] rejecting "conference of humiliation." (al-Quds Palestinian Arab Radio 10/16, in FBIS 10/17)

Israeli military court sentences Shaykh Aimad Yasin, founder of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), to life imprisonment for ordering the deaths of several alleged Palestinian collaborators. Yasin was arrested in May 1989. (NYT 10/17)

Secy. of State Baker travels to Syria for talks with Pres. al-Asad. Israeli FM Leyy states U.S., Israel have agreed on terms for holding peace conference, which include the fact that the conference will not have any power to vote, make decisions, or enforce sanctions and U.S. pledge not to prompt Israel to negotiate with the PLO. (WP 10/16)

Palestinian negotiators Faisal Husseini, Hanan Ashrawi, Zakariyal-Agha travel to Amman to join PLO officials [arrived 10/14] and Jordanian officials for discussions concerning joint delegation. (MEM 10/15)

Knesset no-confidence motion entered by Labor party fails, but Tehiya parliamentarians, part of the governing Likud government, abstain from voting. (MEM 10/15)

Lebanese VP Hasan Habib denies recent press reports that Iranian FM 'Ali Akbar Velayati and Lebanese Pres. Ilyas al-Hirawi agreed last month in New York to a withdrawal of Iranian Revolutionary Guards from Lebanon. (NYT 10/16)

Secy. of State Baker ends talks with Pres. Mubarak in Cairo, after which he flies to Jordan for discussion with King Hussein about Palestinian participation in peace talks. At a press conference in Amman, Baker indicates U.S. is seeking Palestinian delegates who will not press for immediate Palestinian statehood in the o.t. but who would cooperate in talks concerning a limited period of Palestinian self-rule, with negotiations onthe final status of the territories to come later. (WP 10/15)

A top-level PLO delegation, headed by Exec. Comm. mbrs. Yasir 'Abd Rabbuh, Mahmud Abbas, and Sulayman al-Najab, arrives in Amman. (WP 10/15)

Jerusalem city council condemns 10/9 invasion of several Palestinian homes in Silwan by Israeli settlers and right-wing Knesset members. (MEM 10/14)

In Tunis, PLO Exec. Comm. approves principle of joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation to peace conference. PLO, Jordanian officials had earlier agreed to form a joint delegation, not a unified delegation which included both Jordanian and Palestinian delegates [see 10/6]. Exec. Comm. mbr. Yasir 'Abd Rabbuh is dispatched to Amman for more talks with Jordanian officials. (al-Ra'i 10/14 in FBIS 10/15)

Secy. of State Baker arrives in Cairo for eighth trip to Middle East since Gulf war. (MEM 10/14)

Soviet airlines Aeroflot, Jewish Agency, sign agreement to establish direct, regular flights of Soviet Jewish immigrants to Israel from Leningrad and Moscow. Flights will be conducted by Aeroflot and El Al, the Israeli state airline. (MEM 10/14)

Palestinian negotiators Faisal Husseini, Hanan Ashrawi, Zakariya al-Agha, Sari Nusseibeh meet Secy. of State Baker in Washington to discuss Palestinian participation in proposed peace conference. (MEM, NYT 10/11)

For the first time, China admits that Israeli-Chinese meetings took place in Beijing between Chinese officials and representatives of Israel's foreign ministry. Latter had been invited to China by Israel's semi-official representative office, and spoke with their Chinese counterparts while in the country. Israel also confirms that the meetings were held. (MEM 10/10; Qol Yisra'el 10/10 in FBIS 10/11)

UN Secy. Gen. de Cuellar informs Lebanon that Lebanese army cannot deploy in areas in S. Lebanon controlled by UNIFIL forces. Lebanese officials claim de Cuellar had indicated the army would be allowed to operate in UNIFIL areas during talks between Lebanese, UN officials in September in New York. (Radio Lebanon 10/10, 10/11; Voice of Lebanon 10/11 in FBIS 10/11)

Hundreds of Jewish settlers invade Silwan, on outskrits of East Jerusalem, and occupy eight Palestinian homes they claim were bought or leased from the government but occupied by Palestinians. Occupation of the homes was planned by Housing Minister Ariel Sharon, and several right-wing Knesset members, including Michael Eytan, Yuval Ne'eman, and Ge'ula Cohen, joined the settlers in a move some openly stated was an attempt to bring down the government of PM Shamir and disrupt U.S. efforts to convene a peace conference [see 10/4]. Police evacuate most of the homes, but PM Shamir tells settlers they can control one of them. Shamir calls settlers' action "unnecessary" and takes no action against Sharon. (MEM 10/9; WP 10/10, 10/14)

Sharon announces he will challenge PM Shamir for the Likud party's nomination for prime minister in 1992. (WP 10/11)

Israeli police question Faisal Husseini, Hanan Ashrawi about alleged meeting with PLO officials in Algiers. Both stated they had not violated any laws, and asserted their right to refuse to answer further questions. Security forces do not confiscate their passports, but require each to post a bond of 5,000 shekels to ensure that they will report for questioning at any time in the future. U.S. state department had earlier requested that Israel not prosecute the two for fear it would complicate Secy. of State Baker's peace mission. (Qol Yisra'el 10/8 in FBIS 10/9; MEM, NYT 10/9; AFP 10/9 in FBIS 10/10)

PM Shamir claims U.S. promised that it would not issue invitations to peace conference without having first reached agreement with Israel. (MEM 10/9)

On the first anniversary ofthe violence at the Haram al-Sharif, tens of thousands of Palestinians who commute from o.t. to jobs in Israel observe a general strike called by the Unified National Command of the Uprising and refuse to travel to work. Israeli security forces maintained the ban on Palestinians from the o.t. entering Jerusalem which had been imposed 10/7 in order to forestall any violence. (AFP 10/8 in FBIS 10/9)

Israeli daily newspaper Yedi'ot Aharonot publishes report taken from the Russian weekly Rossiya, associated with reformist president of the Russian republic Boris Yeltsin, which claims that the Israeli New Communist List (Raqah) has been receiving a $600,000 per annum subsidy from the Soviet KGB. Rossiya obtained the figure from a 1987 document recently seized from the headquarters of the Soviet communist party in Moscow which listed the amount of money given by the KGB to communist parties around the world. (Yedi'ot Aharonot 10/8 in FBIS 10/9)

Islamic resistance in S. Lebanon claims it exploded aroadside bomb as an Israeli patrol passed on the Rummana-Safi road. Israeli artillery shells several villages, including Haris, Haddatha, suburbs of Nabatiyya. South Lebanon Army announces it will attack any person moving in or near villages of Ayta Zut and Haddatha, Shi'ite villages lying north of "security zone." (MEM 10/9)

Addressing Knesset, PM Shamir declares Pres. Bush's stance on loan guarantees constitutes an attack on the "deepest foundations of Jewish and Zionist consciousness." Shamir also insists that Israel approve Palestinian delegates to peace conference and states Israel will not negotiate with any Palestinian who announces affiliation with PLO while at the conference. (WP, MEM 10/8)

Israeli security forces impose a ban on travel to Jerusalem for residents of the o.t. in an attempt to forestall violence on 8 October, first anniversary of the 1990 disturbances on the Haram al-Sharif which left 18 Palestinians dead. (AFP 10/8, in FBIS 10/9)

The new Israeli voluntary society Sikuy ("Chance") issues report indicating that 46% of Palestinian families in Israel live below the poverty line, compared to 8% of Jewish families. Palestinian academics hold only 10 of some 5,000 academic positions in Israel while only 17 of 1,310 senior positions in government are filled by Palestinians. (Davar 10/8, in FBIS 10/9)

Undercover Israeli agents kill Palestinian youth, 'Imad 'Abdullah 'Atiq, in Burkin village near Jenin. (MEM 10/7)

Turkish Pres. Turgut Ozal announces that proposed conference on Middle East water resources scheduled to meet 3-9 November in Turkey will be postponed [see 8/16]. (WP 10/8)

Israeli court sentences peace activist Abie Nathan to 18 months imprisonment for meeting with Chmn. Arafat in Tunis in July. A 1986 Israeli law bars Israelis from meeting with the PLO. (NYT 10/7)

As Palestinian negotiators Faisal Husseini and Hanan Ashrawi return to Israel from Europe, they are told they must face police questioning about whether or not they met with PLO officials in Algiers while abroad. The two reportedly attended the PNC. (NYT 10/7; WP 10/11)

PLO, Jordanian negotiators meeting in Amman reach agreement on formation of joint delegation to peace conference, but do not reach stage of naming delegates. (MEM 10/7; al-Dustur 10/7 in FBIS 10/9)

Israeli undercover forces kill Khalid Hasan Rayyan, a wanted activist, in Balata refugee camp. (MEM 10/7)

For first time in several years, long-range Israeli artillery fires on S. Lebanese city of Tyre in response to rockets fired into "security zone." (MEM 10/9)

Four Israeli F-15 fighter planes fly on a reconnaissance mission over western Iraq. Iraqi officials claim the planes entered from Syrian airspace and left over Saudi airspace. U.S. strongly protested the action. One U.S. official claimed the planes traveled over Jordan, not Syria and Saudi Arabia. Israeli officials claim U.S. is not providing enough information on Iraqi missile sites in Iraq, that Israel must gather such information itself. (NYT, WP 10/9; WP 10/10)

Israeli newspaper Qol Ha'ir reports Sharon and the militant religious Ateret Cohanim movement have prepared a plan to establish 26 "settlement points" within Palestinian neighborhoods in the Jerusalem area, including 200 housing units in Silwan on eastern outskirts of East Jerusalem (HaAretz 10/4 in FBIS 10/4)

Settlers from Golan present PM Shamir a five-year plan for increased Israeli settlement on the Golan Heights. The plans call for expenditures of $200 million in roads, infrastructure, and for increasing number of settlers from present figure of 11,500 to 40,000 within four years. Shamir accepts plan by noting there was "no shadow of doubt" about Israel's future control of Golan. (MEM 10/4)

Israeli newspaper HaAretz reports that Israel, Germany have failed to reach an understanding over Israel's request for DM10 billion in credito assist settling Jewish immigrants. Among other reasons, Israel's request was based upon the fact that the former East Germany never paid reparations to Israel as did West Germany [see 8/28]. (HaAretz 10/4 in FBIS 10/8)

Israeli defense ministry announces Israel will control export of anti-ballistic missile technology in response to pressure from the U.S., which reportedly included threat to stop accepting Israeli bids for U.S. defense contracts. U.S. is pushing for Israeli compliance with the Convention for the Limitation of the Spread of Missile Technology, adopted in 1987 by the U.S. and other industrialized nations. Israel has been pursuing a research program for developing the Arrow anti-ballistic missile. Most of the funding for the program has been provided by the U.S. (WP 10/4)

PLO delegation led by Exec. Comm. Mbrs. Mahmud 'Abbas, Yasir 'Abd Rabbuh, 'Abdullah al-Hawrani, and Sulayman al-Najjab arrives in Amman to brief Jordanian officials on decisions of PNC and discuss formation of a joint delegation. Jordanians participating in the talks include PM Tahir al-Masri, FM Kamil Abu Jaber, Royal Political Advisor 'Adnan Abu 'Awda. PLO is demanding right to name Palestinian delegates to the joint delegation, and is pushing for adoption of a joint negotiating point demanding end to Israeli settlement building in o.t. Jordan had previously indicated it would accept PLO appointment of Palestinians to joint delegation and that Palestinians could address their own issues at peace conference. (Radio Jordan 10/4 in FBIS 10/4; Jordan Times 10/5 in FBIS 10/9)

More than 100 American Jewish leaders, part of Project Nishma, call on Israel to stop settling Jews in o.t. (MEM 10/3, 10/4)

Addressing organizers of a Palestinian solidarity conference to be hosted by Tehran later in the month, Iranian pres. 'Ali Khamane'i rejects PNC decision, reaffirms that Israel must be "obliterated." (MEM 10/1)

Israeli transport min. Moshe Katzav announces plans to improve road system of E. Jerusalem, including building of a beltway around the city. Katzav notes that "our hold on Jerusalem is strong." (MEM 10/2)